Steven Vinella Runs for Town of Wallkill Councilman

Steven Vinella in front of Route 211 in the Town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Aug. 28, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

Retired police officer Steven Vinella said he’s running for Wallkill councilman to learn more about town government and help steer it toward directions reflective of the will of residents.

“Everybody wants the same thing, in my opinion,” Mr. Vinella told The Epoch Times. “That is to live comfortably and give your children the environment to do the best they can.”

He said he would bring to the town board an inquisitive mind about how things work, the time and availability of a recent retiree, and an ability to compromise with people holding different views.

“I’ve learned as a police union representative that there are not two sides to any story,” he said. “Each side has their own view, and then you have your third—an agreement for both sides to move toward.”

Mr. Vinella, a Democrat, faces Republican candidate Earl Campbell for the open seat in Ward 3.

The seat’s Democratic incumbent, Neil Meyer, is running for town supervisor in the fall.

Mr. Vinella grew up in Long Island and attended the University of New Mexico and Dowling College before running coffee houses and restaurants for several years.

“Early on, I realized that I had to be on my feet. I couldn’t just sit in an office. I am a hands-on person,” he said.

City Cop Experience

At age 34, he became a New York City police officer, mainly for a more secure retirement.

Mr. Vinella worked as a transit cop for 16 years, with about half of the time spent in homeless outreach before he moved on to street policing.

In 2007, after living for years in Queens, Mr. Vinella, his wife, and their young daughter moved to the Town of Wallkill for a better quality of life.

“I fell in love with the town. It reminded me of Long Island when I was growing up,” he said. “There were horse farms, wildlife, and an atmosphere that your kids could grow up in with fond memories, not like all streets and buildings.

“I had a good childhood, and I want my children to have the same experience,” he said.

Town government center in the Town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Dec. 27, 2022. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

In early 2020, he got hurt by a suspect at work and had to undergo knee surgeries. When he returned, riots broke out across New York City after the high-profile George Floyd incident.

He was assigned to the strategic response group unit, tasked with responding to citywide disturbances with specialized equipment.

“I had to do an extra year to help with my pension, but in a way, it was a good thing because the guys and girls I worked with definitely needed my experience with what’s going on,” he said.

Mr. Vinella officially retired from his city job in October 2021.

Around the same time, he was asked by former Wallkill Supervisor Frank DenDanto to be a member of the Master Plan Review Committee to come up with a current comprehensive plan for the town.

The plan and associated zoning changes were last updated in 2005.

Last year, Mr. Vinella got a part-time job as a school resource officer in the Town of Montgomery.

Councilman Campaign

Having more freed-up time as a recent retiree, Mr. Vinella said he wanted to dedicate it to learning more about the town operation and making it better for residents.

“I want to know what’s going on. I really do. I am very inquisitive,” he said, adding that the trait was in part attributed to a rabbi in Long Island.

“I was ready to go off to college, and my rabbi pulled me aside, and he went, ‘Never ever don’t ask questions because the only way you’ll succeed in life is to be curious.’”

Mr. Vinella said the trait served him well as a police officer following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. On one assignment, when he saw federal Environmental Protection Agency staff come in and out of buildings with specialized masks, he was curious enough to ask where he could get one.

His partner on the same post did not ask for such a mask and contracted cancer years later and passed away due to exposure to toxic substances, Mr. Vinella said.

Fire and rescue workers search through the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 13, 2001. Rescue and cleanup continued after the Twin Towers were destroyed on Sept. 11 by terrorists in hijacked commercial aircraft. Beth A. Keiser/AFP/Getty Images

“You pay taxes, and I pay a lot of money in taxes. We all pay taxes. I want to know what’s going on with that money and have a say in where the money goes,” he said.

Mr. Vinella said he would like to invest taxpayers’ money in infrastructure, such as water and sewers, promote better overall planning of town development, and encourage more participation from town residents.

“I want it to be a town where you, your kids, and your family enjoy. I want our Orange County experience to continue to be better,” he said. “Honestly, I am not 100 percent sure how to do that, but that’s exactly the reason why I’m running.

“If I am elected, I will go ahead and ask my constituents what they want done,” he said, adding that he had also been going door-to-door on the campaign trail to learn about residents’ concerns.